The purpose of the unit is to raise the academic rigour of current New Testament Church History course.This would allow it to be submitted for consideration as a Level 3 course in NZ and be recognised for Academic Rigour on the Year 12 Academic certificate. The unit is aimed at students in their final year(s) of schooling, with particular emphasis on students who are considering pursuing further tertiary studies. The extension projects are aligned to and used with the 12 New Testament Church History PACEs (121-132).

We recommend you issue the research extension with the first PACE of the grouping (ie. 121, 124, 127, and 130) and the student must complete and hand in the project before sitting the PACE test of the final PACE in each grouping (ie. 123, 126, 129, 132).

Project 1 asks the students to consider the historical evidence for Christ’s existence and to present their findings as either a research project or a formal essay. Project 2 requires the student to investigate the relationship between persecution and the growth of the early church and present their conclusions in either a non-linear powerpoint or as an oral presentation. Project 3 allows the student to choose one significant Christian leader from the pre-Reformation, Reformation, or post-Reformation era and explain their contribution to Christianity as either a formal research project or a Powerpoint (either linear or non-linear). Project 4 requires the student to compare Christianity with a significant worldview (Islam, Communism, Secular Humanism, Hinduism) and evaluate how each worldview provides meaning and purpose, presenting their conclusion as an essay, a research project or as a Powerpoint (either linear or non-linear).

Students may also want to consider their Student Convention events as they plan this course. Each research extension task has been aligned to Student Convention requirements. Please check the specific guidelines of the relevant event before starting the research extension project if you intend to submit your finished work at a Student Convention.

Students may need to complete a short course in basic research skills before starting their NTCH Research Extension projects. We would recommend the JSTOR Research Basics course. It has 3 modules covering Effective Searching, Establishing Credibility, and Citing Scholarly Work. It is self-paced and a free resource offered by JSTOR.

The research tasks and conditions have been informed by the following state and national syllabus:

BOSTES, Studies of Religion

TACE, Studies of Religion

NCEA, Studies of Religion

QCE, Religion and Ethics

All students currently studying New Testament Church History as an Academic Rigour subject for their current Year 12 Academic pathway will have the Academic Rigour honoured. However, all students registering a pathway after July 1, 2017 will have to complete the NTCH Research Extension projects in order to qualify for Academic Rigour.

Imagine yourself standing in front of a signpost. There are signs pointing in nearly every direction and as you stand there, you have to make a choice about which direction you are going to take. When you are faced with this immediate and seemingly overwhelming challenge, it feels like a wrong choice can ruin your life.

This is what leaving school can feel like for a number of our students. Some of our students know exactly what they want to do when they leave school – they are going on to full-time work, tertiary study, or vocational study. They’ve stood at the signpost and made a decision. Just over half of these students will go on to do exactly as they had planned – the others will encounter setbacks, such as not being accepted into their chosen course of study, or will try their chosen pathway for a while before deciding that it really isn’t what they want to do with their lives.

Change can be wonderful. It can also be terrifying. Leaving school would have to rank as one of the biggest life changes that our students will experience. So how do we prepare them for a successful transition from the ordered world of school to the busy-bustling world of making decisions that is life after school?

One of the ways that we can help our students make a successful transition from school to life after school is to prepare them. Students can become so fixated on finishing their last test that they cannot see the bigger picture. They need us to help them see the bigger picture – leaving school is another step forward in the journey of life. By encouraging our students to think and dream about life after they have finished school and by engaging them in discussions about their fears, thoughts and dreams, we can help prepare our students for what happens next. The support and discussion is invaluable but intangible – students can’t produce the discussion they had with you to support their job application.

About two thirds of graduating students do not have a CV or resume prepared when they leave school. The one third that does have a CV or resume has one they prepared to get a part-time job in their senior years of schooling and haven’t updated it for quite some time. One of the simplest ways we can prepare our students for life after school is to equip them with the necessary paperwork for surviving the adult world. They need to know what a CV is, what a resume is but more than that, they need to have their own CV or resume prepared, ready to be used to help them achieve their goals of further study or employment.

I went searching for tools to help students prepare their CV and resumes. There was a lot of advice – much of it contradictory and often aimed at someone who has at least a little bit of work experience. I could find very few resources that helped a student fresh out of school put together their CV. I could find no resources that helped a student fresh out of school create their CV and incorporate a Biblical worldview. So we created one. We have developed a Biblical worldview resource that will help your student or child to prepare and write a CV, resume, cover letter and references. The unit covers subject matter such as online presence in social media and networking, integrity, mentoring, work experience, achievements, volunteering and extracurricular activities.

The first Quarter of the new 4th edition Bible Reading Level 6 is now available plus the matching Score Key 1061-1063. The remainder are on schedule to be printed and released between now and February 2017.

Science Journals 1001-1096 (Available again)

The Science Journals are designed to be used in conjunction with the Science PACEs, providing a measurable and practical application for the concepts learned.

Rosetta Stone licenses

Web-based language learning program with a choice of up to 30 languages available

This kit incorporates “Speaking English with Ace and Christi” and “ABCs with Ace and Christi”. It is a 30-36 week program allows students to learn to speak and read English with enough comprehension to begin working first level English PACEs by week 19. Combining the two programs makes it user friendly with just one continuous set of manuals.

FIRST LEVEL SET (ABCs) KIT 010676 $520.00

This kit incorporates the traditional ABCs learning to read program with the entire Level One PACE component. It represents a saving on purchasing the parts individually.

Rosetta Stone uses a style of instruction called “immersion methodology”. Lessons are presented entirely in the language you are learning. There are no instructions or parallel English translations. This is a deliberate learning technique that has been adopted to help the learner adapt to the new language as quickly as possible. Millions of users worldwide have already demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach in language learning. Immersion is a natural method for children and adults to learn language. As with any language program, additional aids such as direct person-to-person communication, cultural exposure, and further studies will enhance the learning experience.Prior to purchase we strongly recommend that you View the demonstration – http://www.rosettastone.com/k12/home/

We have just updated our order forms which you should use when placing new orders. Please discard any old copies you may have. New products are now featured more prominently via highlighting. In particular, we wish to draw your attention to the completely revised Grammar course available in its entirety. The Order Forms require a username and password to download. If you do not know what these are, please email the SCEE Office. We will forward you the appropriate information. Please also remember that we encourage use of our webstore for order placement. The webstore is the quickest way to place orders.

**SPECIAL OFFERS**

ONE PEOPLE, ONE DESTINY – AUSTRALIAN HISTORY FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE

by Mike Spencer

Many contemporary historians either completely ignore or diminish the important role that Christianity has played in Australian History. This book seeks to challenge the portrayal of Australia’s development since European settlement in 1788 that fails to tell the Australian Christian story. Hard cover, 368 full colour, glossy pages. Introductory price is $40.00 ** NOW $20.00 Tax inc **. Click on the following link for more details: http://www.scee.edu.au/other/a-christian-history-of-australia/. From the author.. “The purpose of One People, One Destiny is to show God’s dealings in the context of a comprehensive general history of Australia. The twelve chapters trace Australia’s heritage from Biblical times through the course of significant Christian influences in Australia’s history”. The reduced price represents very good value and would be an excellent resource for any school / family library. If you wish to take the opportunity to acquire the book at this special price, please either reply to this email or contact SCEE Ltd and place your order directly. Quantity breaks also available for larger purchases.

DVDs

All curriculum DVDs are being offered at 40% discount at this time. Some students will benefit from the presentations which closely parallel PACE work. This particularly applies to high school Maths and Science. In Algebra for example, this reduces the price from $30.15 to $18.09 (ex GST) Per DVD.

LANGUAGE COURSES

We are currently renegotiating with Rosetta Stone Management regarding the on-going supply of their on-line language programs. We believe it has been overwhelmingly well received by most users over the past two years. However, we have received word that there will be a significant price increase for this product. We are possibly looking at a new price of $125.00 (ex tax) per license. Our investigations reveal that this still represents good value in comparison to the regular list price. Shortly we will be forwarding a short questionnaire to users and non-users regarding their attitude towards language learning in general and the use of Rosetta Stone in particular. We encourage you to respond to this. If Rosetta Stone is entirely new to you, you can click on the following link for more details: http://www.scee.edu.au/other/rosetta-stone-language-learning/

4TH EDITION UPDATES (newly released since last notification 14.08.15)

Word Building 1031 and 1032; Science 1078 are now available in 4th Edition.

NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Item No. 060255 ABCs for English Learners Set.

We are pleased to inform you of the new ABCs for English Learners Set. This set incorporates Speaking English with ACE and Christi and ABCs with Ace and Christi. This 30-36 week program allows students to learn to speak and read English with enough comprehension to begin working first level English PACEs by week 19. Combining the two programs makes it user-friendly with just one continuous set of manuals. While these are not in stock yet, we are taking orders which can be shipped together with a future order you may place. Anticipated price: $370.65. More information is available from the SCEE Office.

The package contains a total of 120 stickers – 60 cartoon characters and 60 character trait stickers. Anticipated availability: mid to late October. Price: $4.00 a packet. More information is available from the SCEE Office.

Southern Cross Educational Enterprises will be conducting its annual Stock take from 30th June to the 5th July, 2015. During this process no accounting transactions affecting stock can take place. No invoices or credit notes involving stock movements will be performed. This means no orders can be processed during this period. If you wish to purchase stock prior to the stock take, please ensure your order has reached us no later than 22nd June (earlier would be better). Orders received after that date may or may not be dispatched before the end of the month. This will depend on the quantity of orders in the queue at the time. Please allow for this in your planning. We will resume normal order processing as soon as we possibly can after the conclusion of the Stock take. We thank you for your cooperation and understanding.